Risley - Conservation Area
w/e 22 April 2018
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Kodak DX6490

It's almost ten years since I added a selection of images from the village of Risley and picture-wise, little has changed since then, so some of this selection below are very similar to those from July 2008 (link).

Church Gates

Gate PostMuch of the village is designated as a Conservation Area and all of these images from near All Saints' Church were taken on the north side of the main road through Risley where there are a number of listed buildings or features. Amongst them are the churchyard walls, gates and War Memorial. A date stone in the well worn sandstone near the top of the right hand gate post is difficult to read but actually says 1707. Also worthy of note is the scrolled lantern arch complete with the central lantern. The War Memorial is inscribed with the names of victims from the village in both World Wars.
Chest Tombs

To the right of the path leading from the gates to the church are, not as I first thought air raid shelters, but two Chest Tombs from the eighteenth century. Inscriptions on the tombs record the deaths of Richard Smedley on February 16th 1748 aged 80, William Smedley on June 24th 1743 and Edward .... who died July 17th 1730 aged 51 and his wife Elizabeth on January 23rd 1729 aged 50. The tombs are Grade II listed.
All Saints' Church

The parish church itself dedicated to All Saints is Grade II* listed and was built for Sir Michael Willoughby as a domestic chapel to Risley Hall in 1593 and consecrated in 1632, one of only six built during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The north aisle and vestry were added in 1841 when the church was restored and repaired.

Coat Of Arms

The Willoughby family's coat of arms is in the stonework above the south door with the date 1593. In addition the initials M, K and W which stand for Michael and Katharine Willoughby are carved there too but it is difficult to make them out nowadays due to the weathering of the stone.
Hooley Grave

Between the Chest Tombs and the south door is another interesting grave. This is the final resting place of Ernest Terah Hooley who gained a certain amount of notoriety by buying and floating companies that went on to become well known British concerns amassing a fortune in the process. He was also declared bankrupt and was known as a serial fraudster. He owned Risley Hall (which stands opposite the church) and lived there until 1941. A friend of King Edward VII, his life story makes for some interesting reading - see Grace's Guide.
Church Cottage

Behind the church is another Grade II listed building, Church Cottage. This seventeenth century cottage was partly rebuilt in 1882 and has a stone plaque above the door inscribed 'Harrisons Memorial 1882'. Also visible in this image is the timber framing between the windows.
Latin House

Next to the church along Derby Road is the Latin House (Grade II*) which was described by Pevsner as "one of the finest buildings in the country". It was built in 1706 for Elizabeth Grey of Risley Hall. Elizabeth was a descendant of Katharine Willoughby who had founded a school here in 1593. The Latin House was to accommodate pupils, master and usher. Not only is the house listed but so are the walls in front which are of early eighteenth century construction all be it with later repairs.
Grotesques

Above each window of the Latin House is a grotesque head and above the door is the inscription "A MA PUISSANCE MDCCVI" a quotation from the coat of arms meaning "To my power".
Latin College

Separated from the Latin House by a narrow lane called The City is the Latin College and Latin Cottage, again Grade II* listed, which were endowed by Elizabeth Grey in her will of 1720.

The City

The City nameplate also gives the origin of the name.
Old Post Office

Stepping into The City is like stepping back in time, a quiet little oasis from an earlier age. Risley Brook runs down the left hand side of the lane and on the other side of it is a cottage that bears the name "The Old Post Office" which indicates its former use. Also on the left of this picture the rear of Church Cottage that stands behind the church can be seen.
Old School House

Returning to the main road and next to the Latin College is the Old School House and as would be expected this is yet another Grade II* listed building. Dating from 1720 with later alterations this again was endowed by Elizabeth Grey and was built as part of the Latin school complex. Although the Derbyshire Victoria County History states that it was built in 1771, this is probably the date of some alterations as it appears on a map in the Derbyshire County Record Office which is dated 1722 . It is no surprise then with all these listed buildings - and more - that Risley is designated as a Conservation Area.

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